Page 80 of A Vegas Crush Collection #3

part three

clusterpuck

An Age-Gap Hockey Love Story

“I’m in Vegas to play a final season of NHL hockey and for one last chance at The Cup.”

— Tripp Blackburn, VEGAS CRUSH

I've known Lila Marchmont-Terry since she was born...when I was thirteen.

I came to Vegas only for a run at The Cup because, after this season, I’m hanging up my skates for good.

Lila came to Vegas for a gap year interning with her grandfather, because after this season, she’s headed off to grad school to study Sports Management.

Note that her grandfather owns The Vegas Crush—the team I’ve just signed a lucrative, one-year contract deal to finish out my NHL playing career.

But now that our paths have crossed again, I’ve discovered Lila doesn’t really like me anymore.

That didn’t matter a bit while we were stranded in a hotel room with only one bed, and we did something we should’ve never done even though the itch was there for both of us.

The same itch we ended up scratching after our clothes sort of...disappeared, and the fire between us burned hotter than ever.

All—night—long.

Which is how I knocked up Max Terry’s granddaughter (who usually despises me when our clothes are on).

I wish I could say things got better after our Las Vegas wedding, officiated by someone dressed as Dracula, but I’d be lying.

It’s a whole cluster of a situation now—one giant CLUSTERPUCK we’ve gotten ourselves into now with a baby on the way.

And Lila still doesn’t know about my long-held secret crush, because I'm far too old for her.

She has no idea the only one I’ve ever wanted to share my pucks with…is her.